Mission San Juan Capistrano

The mission was originally founded in east Texas, near the current city of Cushing, as Mission San José de los Nazonis. It was moved to San Antonio and renamed San Juan Capistrano in 1731.

The first primitive chapel was made of made of brush, straw, and mud. By 1756, the structure had been replaced by a long, low adobe building, with a campanile (bell tower) at one end. A larger building was started in 1760, but it was never completed due to lack of funds.

The mission never prospered due to a lack of sufficient land. At its height, the mission owned about 1,000 head of cattle, 100 horses, and 3,500 sheep or goats. It supported about 250 neophytes.

The mission remained active until 1794, when mission activities in east Texas were ended.